Grimm 1.10 "Organ Grinder" Review

Grimm 1.10 "Organ Grinder" Review

One of the main problems that I've had with Grimm's opening nine episodes is that the cases of the week tended to be very hit-or-miss. I don't know if it's where I'm not used to the feel of a procedural or what, but more often than not, I've not been that drawn in by the plethora of missing children and women in peril. The supernatural elements that the show has been playing around with in said cases, from fairy tale-esque settings to different creature interactions and brutal imagery, have masked that fact until this point, but there has to be some other pull to get me interested in a routine police investigation. I like seeing what kind of new creatures or impressive lighting schemes Grimm can come up with, but at some point, the cases need to start having a bit more meaning, a bit more resonance with the main characters.

"Organ Grinder" was a step in the right direction in that regard, as it allowed the three main folks we keep in touch with (Nick, Monroe, and, to a lesser extent, Juliette) to stretch their wings a little bit. Most notably, it was a fantastic episode for Nick, a likable enough "good guy" that has been treading pretty lightly here lately. Granted, after you find out you're a descendant of a long line of creature hunters, you might become a little closed off for a while, since your entire identity is up in the air, but this is the first episode (perhaps ever?) that Nick really stood out in the madness. He's gained a noticeable amount of confidence in his role as hunter in his time with Monroe and it was especially gratifying to see him intimidate one of the geier working at the corrupt clinic and the gallenblase salesman. The Nick Burkhardt in the pilot wouldn't have been able to handle himself that well with two "bad guys", so as much as this is a supernatural procedural, it's also the story of a man growing to accept himself and Nick's growth in his "other life" only bodes well going forward. I like watching him catch on and figure out how to navigate the creature world, but it feels like the training period has ended and Nick Burkhardt, Professional Hunter is ready to step on the scene. Read More...